Archery:Inexpensive fun and competition;also.....

[SUPERX-M1]

I am not into archery at all but expect that it would be a grand hobby. It might be a good fit for young people to learn and then grow with. The sport can be inexpensive. There are clubs, competition, and interest. There are many aspects of the sport. And, not too many liberals that are anti-archery.

The Golden Gate Park had an outdoor cycle-drome, and casting pools (fishing equipment) .All left from the Olympics. San Mateo had an outdoor 50 foot range for rimfire years ago. I have no idea what California has for firearms shooting now. It is a very restrictive state;Thank you, Feinstein et al.

I have read that in England, they count out every 22 round issued in competition and nobody leaves until every round and empty case is turned in.Where, when, and the truth , I do not know; I did read this somewhere tho. Edit: One time, an empty case dropped into a crack, they did not readily find it and the authority types went nuts until it was finally found.

When in the military, do not walk off the range with ammo. You will regret it.

[Vern Humphrey]

I was in England when there was a newspaper story that -- Oh, My GOD! A live .22 short was found in the street!!

[Dan in NH]

I used to shoot 3D archery back in the 90's. Even back then equipment was starting to get expensive.

[SUPERX-M1]

3D and hunting compound bows are expensive, also top flight archery target equipment. Less elite target recurve and other target bows are not. They are affordable and last for decades.

[JB White]

You can start out inexpensive and I think most folks should. Learn the basics first. It gets pricey once you improve and want better scores. Then the prices soar if you become competitive and want to remain in the game. At least there are different classes in tournaments. Some local leagues also take into account experience, equipment, and shooting style.
For the most part, if you can't keep 5 arrows inside a half dollar sized circle at 25 yards on a fairly regular basis, then your chances of winning the season are slim.

On the other hand, I have seen novice shooters loaded up with top end gear who couldn't take advantage of it. Heavy investment with little joy. Like buying $200 baseball bats without knowing how to approach the plate.

[SUPERX-M1]

Mr. White: Does competition archery equipment become obsolete?

Would you give us a very loose, general idea of the total costs involved from beginner level equipment to going up a few stages of competitive gear?

Are most shooters satisfied with staying at lower levels- more of a recreational level?

Do most new shooters stay in the sport, or do they move on?

Thanks for your input, more information that we can use.

Edit: Perhaps, equipment that is used could be obtained for less. Well, it has to be a cheaper sport than golf with heavy greens fees, sporting clays, rifle events with ammunition costs....very expensive equipment.

[LavaTech]

Archery was an absolute blast when I was a kid. Though I usually spent most Sundays at the 1930's era CDTC Smallbore/Pistol range in Pasadena, CA with my dad and brothers, (most awesome range I've ever known and long since vanished) some weekdays and SOME weekends were archery days. I was a mere lad then and used 25 to 35 pound self bows at ranges of no more than 75 yards, and though I had a blast I had no competition... eventually it killed archery for me.

I did however find a very fun way to teach myself snap shooting at indeterminate ranges. All that you need is about six tennis balls, a boat load (or over fifty) of blunt or field tipped arrows, an open field, and some time. Toss a ball to a little distance, shoot it, and again, and again, and so on until your cutoff shot (after x misses at x distance... new ball). Odds are that you'll never shoot the same range again in any day week or year. On light wind days it's a good time to start shooting 360° to work your 'snap' windage guesstimation too.

You'll learn how close is 'too close' to start after you slay a few innocent tennis balls, there's a 'too close' even for blunt tips.:evil6:

Archery was NEVER as easy as Errol Flynn made it look!:icon_pirat:

[Dan in NH]

Lots of newfangled equipment since I shot competetive in the 90's. But I can still hold the 10 ring at 50 yards so why upgrade, and that's with aluminum arrows

[Vern Humphrey]

Archery was NEVER as easy as Errol Flynn made it look!:icon_pirat:
Nor is it -- but if you've never killed a deer with an arrow, you've never been hunting.

[SUPERX-M1]

I have heard that there are some dudes that kill pigs with a knife or spear. And a Masaii tribesman went after a lion with spear-ifrc a manhood ritual. They have found some pointed wood spears almost 500,000 years old-Homo Heidelbergensis. Now the big game snipers want to take on deer and elk at 1000 yards.

Yes, I know, we are discussing archery , but still interesting. Vern's comment got me started.

[pcox]

I started hunting with a recurve bow in my twenties, several years later I went with a compound. Never really liked it and after a couple of years I got rid of it and gave up archery. Thirty years or so later my brother sent me a Fred Bear "Black Bear" model recurve that I had given him. I started shooting again and have been hunting since then. I use a "Warf Bow" now. Look that up, it will be an interesting read.

[JB White]

Mr. White: Does competition archery equipment become obsolete?

Would you give us a very loose, general idea of the total costs involved from beginner level equipment to going up a few stages of competitive gear?

Are most shooters satisfied with staying at lower levels- more of a recreational level?

Do most new shooters stay in the sport, or do they move on?

Thanks for your input, more information that we can use.

Edit: Perhaps, equipment that is used could be obtained for less. Well, it has to be a cheaper sport than golf with heavy greens fees, sporting clays, rifle events with ammunition costs....very expensive equipment.


Most of your questions are a matter of personal preference and individual attention spans.

I have owned equipment that went obsolete. My first compound bow was a 70# Jennings with barely a 30% let off. Tried a lot of equipment over the years from Bear to Hoyt, but I gravitated towards PSE. Not even Ted Nugent himself could talk me into shifting over to Oneida. Which by the way I thought was great and Ted could outshoot me in any hunting scenario any day any time. Unorthodox style but he was one helluva salesman too! Unorthodox to me because I was coached by an Olympic medalist. I was never as good as she was but I won my fair share at the local level.
I was freestyle shooter. Fingers and pins. That pretty much makes me obsolete these days. I never took to using a mechanical release or anything more fancy than the Check it pin sights on my target bow. Single stabilizer without counters. Pretty basic stuff on my hunting bow.

Learn to use what you like and can enjoy. Never chintz but don't let some smooth talker tell you what you NEED AND ABSOLUTELY MUST HAVE!!! Try it first if possible. See if it actually helps in your eyes and not the guys eyes who is trying to move old stock. He/she is more interested in your wallet than your enjoyment.
In a field tournament I once won the men's freestyle class. Yet my score bested the third place finisher in men's unlimited. Its all about using what you know and like.

Find someone who can show you how to hold a bow properly to avoid string burn. Its easy to master but you need to be shown. If the string slaps your arm guard something is amiss. Wear a thin guard anyway even its its just peace of mind. One less thing to distract you and that is a distraction that can cause a flinch.
Match the arrows to your bow and your draw length.
Same anchor point every single time.
Same release every single time.
Relax the grip on the bow. No death grip needed. Let the bow fall into your fingers on your follow through.
Learn to breath!
Don't hold too long on target. You'll only start to shake and fighting it makes it worse.

Practice that until it becomes second nature. Its annoying when you start blowing the nocks off your arrows in the target, but that part of getting better. Even more annoying when you rip the fletches off too! :)

Speaking of fletches. I used smaller straight fletches on very thin walled light weight arrows indoors. My field arrows were heavier and a bit stiffer. I used helical vanes on those. Much more forgiving in several ways. I would suggest helical vanes over fletches when starting out. You may also decide to stay with them. Most people do.
For a reference point. I used to get my aluminum field arrows made up for $18 to $25 a dozen. At the same time my target arrows were over $60 a dozen.
Bottom line is to do what you enjoy :)

PS. My archery days are pretty much over now. No longer shoot competitively and haven't done any hunting either. But....I still have a recurve from 1970 and still have quivers of arrows. It still entertaining for me.

[SUPERX-M1]

Thank you for the comments Mr. White. You have given us some insights. It is apparent that one must join or at first hang out with an archery club to gain needed information and mentoring. Qualified coaching seems a must, or a very strong should.

[JB White]

Most indoor archery ranges have a pro shop. Most times someone will offer a few pointers and might offer instructions.
Find a range you like with a crowd you like. Things will start happening all on their own.

You can YouTube it. But, you will need to have an experienced archer to watch you and catch any mistakes. You might not feel yourself flinching or standing out of position. That's where the extra eyes come in handy.

[SUPERX-M1]

Books at library: Search Ohio lists 351 titles on archery re hunting , target, ...

[blackhawknj]

I read that during the 100 Years War when the English realized how effective their longbow men were they made archery practice MANDATORY , it was done on Sunday's after church. The English revised their tactics so the Knights protected the bowmen.
Having tried, I can say it's a lot harder than it looks.

[Vern Humphrey]

I read that during the 100 Years War when the English realized how effective their longbow men were they made archery practice MANDATORY , it was done on Sunday's after church. The English revised their tactics so the Knights protected the bowmen.
Having tried, I can say it's a lot harder than it looks.

That's basically Henry VIII -- and is based on a myth that the long bow was the "yeoman's weapon." The longbow was actually Welsh, and most of the bowmen in an English Army were Welshmen (Celts) and not English (Anglo-Saxons.) They were also professional soldiers -- the typical longbow had a draw weight of 100 to 150 lbs, far too much for a man who only practiced once a week.

Skeletons have been found of men killed by these bows -- the arrow would penetrate the entire skull, front to back. It was truly powerful.

The "bodkin" (sharp) point was for penetrating chain mail -- the point could go into a link, spread it, and continue on. For plate armor, a flatter point was needed. If you find an arrow with a broadhead, if the broadhead is parallel to the cock feather, that's a war arrow -- designed to go between human ribs, which are more or less horizontal. If the broadhead is perpendicular to the cock feather, that's a hunting arro, intended to go between the ribs of a deer, which are more or less vertical.